Propellant powder



Patented Nov. 15, 1927.

CHARLES H. KECK, OF THE UNITED STATES ARMY.

PROPELLANT POWDER.

No Drawing.

Application filed November 6, 1926. Serial No. 146,835.

(GRANTED UNDER THE ACT OF MARGH 3, 1883; 22 STAT. L. 625.)

The invention described herein may be used by the Government, 01- any of its officers or employees in prosecution of work for the Government, or by any other person in the United States, Without payment to me of any royalty thereon, in accordance with the act of March 3, 1883.

The subject of this invention is a propellant powder.

The principal object of the present invention is the provision of a substantially flashless, smokeless and non-hygroscopic powder Whose characteristics may be obtained by the employment of materials which are abundant and cheap and which are susceptible of incorporation without alteration of the standard equipment and procedure.

Specifically my invention resides in incorporatinn with nitrocellulose a mixture varying from 20% to of dinitrobenzol with or without one or more other nitro-aromatics. As-an example of powders of this type, one which proved very successful consisted of the following composition:

This powder was made with an ether alco hol solvent and a major ortion of the dinitrobenzol and all of t e mononitroxylol which were added durin the mixing operation were dissolved there y.

Other successful powders have been made in which a part of the dinitrobenzol was replaced by trinitrotoluol and mononitroxylol or dinitroxylol was included or omitted. The employment of trinitrotoluol permits the dissolution of the whole of the solid nitro-aromatics in the solvent. When the mixture is incorporated in the nitrocellulose by dissolution in the solvent the ingredients thereof act as colloiding agents and materially reduce the amount of solvent required to colloid the powder.

The nitrocellulose may be of any nitrogen content within the range suitable for propellants, namely 10.5N to 13.5N.

The ratio of the various nitro-aromatics to each other and the percentage of the mixture of these aromatics incorporated in the nitrocellulose may be varied to suit the eccentricities of the different powered guns.

I claim:

1. A propellant powder consisting of nitrocellulose 74.5%, dinitrobenzol 20%, mononitroxylol 5% and a stabilizer .5%

2. A propellant powder consisting of nitrocellulose 70 to 80 parts, and dinitrobenzol 20 to 30 parts.

3. A propellant powder consisting of nitrocellulose 70 to 80 parts and dinitrobenzol and one or more other nitro-aromatics, 20 to 30 parts.

CHARLES H. KECK. 

